Web feeding and collecting mechanism



June 10, 1924.

- 1,497,296 R.-C. JAPPE (NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME R. C. STEVENSON) WEB FEEDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 51, 1

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[7 u/flm AL; ATTORNEY June 10, 1924. 1,497,296

R. C. JAPPE (NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OFNAME R. c. STEVENSON) WEB FEEDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM June 10, 1924. 1,497,296

' R. C. JAPPE (NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME R. C.. STEVENSQN) WEB FEEDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM E H 17171272702. H {I i 1 0/ Cl a Jpe. A m ydzdztzal R I $3 y 0%)? e of/rame, Rafa 9 CSZa ensan.

U I I l I 1 BY/QJIMW I ATTORNEY.

June 10 .1924. 1,497,296

R. c. JAPPE (NOW BY JUDlClAL CHANGE OF NAME R. C. STEVENSON) WEB FEEDING AND COLLEC'RING' MECHANISM Filed Jan. 31, 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 gal Bay M g? ATTORNEY.

Jun 10, 1924.

, 1,497,296 R. C. JAPPE (NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME R. c. STEVENSON) WEB FEEDING MID COLLECTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 31, 1932 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 17106212 011 f/Mob oe i i dd -z QQ, morrye 7670 727 6 fi/ /7 i tvfs 0 7 fliiesz': I I BY gZ /M/W M i ATTORNEY.

June 10, 1924.-

1,497,296 R. c. JAPPE (NOW BY JUDICIAL'CHANGE OF NAME R. c. STEVENSON) WEB FEEDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 51, 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 v 17? 2/677 707: AZz/ob Cda a be, A 0 & Judi rial cfianye ofzmme fifafi C Jzevemsan.

' ATTORNEY.

June 10 1924. 1,497,296

R. C. JAPPE (NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME R. C. STEVENSON) WEB FEEDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM- Filed Jan. 31, 1922' 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 li yj g' iz ven 7'07:

ATTORNEY,

Patented June 10,1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs.

RALPH C. JAPPE, NOW :IBY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME RALPH C. STEVENSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. ASSIGNO'R TO CONTINUOUS FORM PRINTING CO. INC., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION' OF NEW YORK.

WEB FEEDING AND COLLECTING- MECHANISM.

Ap-plication filed January 31, 1922. Serial No. 533,103.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH C. JArrE (now by judicial change of name RALPH C. STE- rm: soN) a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Veb Feedingand Collecting Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to a web feeding and collecting mechanism, and more particularly to a machine adapted to produce manifolding forms for use in billing and other machines, or for being filled in by hand.

Manifolding sheets or webs must be so made that the parts of the'forms upon each sheet will be in reasonably accurate register with the corresponding parts of the forms on other sheets in each unit, so that all copies of a completely filled in form will be duplicates one of the other, and the printed or written matter inserted in one form will be properly located in the blanks provided therefor upon all other forms without being itself illegible and without obscuring a printed portion of any form. V

The strips or webs which are fed and collected by means of a machine embodying my invention, are printed before delivery to the machine, the purpose of the machine be ing to feed a plurality of different printed strips or webs, each from its own roll, to superimpose the different strips or webs upon, and bring them into the desired registering relation to each other, and to advance the superimposed strips or webs simulta-- neously aid to the same extent, so that 1rrespective of the length of a run of the ma chine, any slight error in some portion of the feeding mechanism will be compensated for by other portions of said feeding mechanism, or be corrected thereby in a manner to ensure suhgantially exact register ofthe printed forfiis upon the different superimposed sheets of each manifolding form.

.The mechanisms of the machine of my invention are such that the difierent sheets of each manifolding' form may be of the same, or different, colors or of the same,

or different, weights of paper, the function of the machine being the same irrespective of the weight or quality of the paper.

In connection with the mechanisms for collecting and advancing the web or strip of printed forms, I provide mechanisms which may be used to apply adhesive within,

nection with which the n'ianifolding forms are to be used.

The construction of the machine is such that any desired number of sheets may be included in each manifolding form, it being possible by a mere readjustment of the gluing or pasting mechanisms, to adapt the machine for assembling a single or a plurality of sets of manifolding strips or webs, thus permitting an increased capacity of the machine when but few sheets are required .in each manifolding form, by operating the machine at full capacity, but dividing this capacity so as to produce a plurality of sets of manifolding forms at the same time;

To secure the desired exact register of the printed matter upon superimposed sheets of each manifold form, I preferably provide mechanisms whereby with each cycle of the machine, a substantially uniform length of strip or web will be drawn from each supply roll, each strip or web having registering openings therethrough affording a grippiug space adapted to be engaged by a feeding device for simultaneously imparting similar rectilineal movement to each .of the strips or webs prior to the bonding of',an edge or edges thereof when such bonding is done, thus compensating for any slight variation in the func tioning of the mecaanism for withdrawing the strips or webs from their several rolls, which last named mechanism will eflt'ectively brought together, at said delivery mechanism, they are held a art so that. adhesive may readily be appliec at or near the edges, and'between, adjacent. strips or webs, the delivery mechanisms when adhesive is thus used, effecting a sealing of the strips or webs as an incident to the delivery thereof.

The arrangement of parts is such that at all times while thestrips or webs are being fed with the printed forms thereon in regi tering position, they will be held sufficiently 'ta-ut to prevent any such sagging as will;

permit any strip or web to sag to an extent to cause a loss of register of the forms on any of the strips or webs.

During the collecting of the various strips or webs, and the greater portion of the time while these webs or strips are being fed in unison, each strip or web will be in large measure separately controlled during the final stages of their process through the machine, all' of the strips or webs will pass through presser rollers constituting the dclivery mechanism which will act upon the pile as a unit.

The machine .of my invention may be used to provide various groupings of original and duplicate sheets in manifolding forms, and to effect a different manner'of sealing the edges thereof so as to produce various arrangements of these forms to conform to different commercial systems or the requirements of'difi'erent forms of machines.

Theinvention consists primarily in a web feeding and collecting'mechanism embodymg therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, means simultaneously drawingthe strip or web from each of said rolls and superimposing said strips or webs one, upon another with 'theprinted matter upon each sheet in exact register with that upon the other sheets, and means arranged between'said feeding means and the delivery point of the-machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are collectively fed in unison; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are.

hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a machine means for setting the machine for different widths of strips or webs;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line -4 of Fig. 2'upon an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4; I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of opposite ends of the feeding mechanism takenon the line 6-6 'of Fig. 7;

Fig. 7 IS a plan view broken away, of the mechanism shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one end of the feed roller releasing mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the mechanism for imparting re'ctilineal feeding movement to the strips or webs;

Fig. 10 is a detail view in perspective of one of the gripper feed mechanisms;

Fig. 11 is a side view of one of the gripper feed mechanisms and one of the strip or web holding mechanisms associated therewith; i

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a product of the machine shown in Figs. 1 toll; and

Figs. 13 to 21 illustrate different arrangements of manifolding forms which may be produced upon a machine of the type embodying my invention.

Like numerals refer to like out the several views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown parts throughin the drawings, the. construction and ar-.

rangement of parts is such that the strips or webs to be fed and collected, superim posed one upon another, are fed through the machine with an intermittent movement.

each feeding movement drawing a fixed,

predetermined and uniform length of strip 'or' web from each roll thereof in the machine, the length of each strip or web thus fed being determined by the mechanisms of the machine. Substantially accurate register of the printed matter upon the different strips or webs is secured by means of properly spaced openings in each strip or web, adapted to be engaged by some part of the feeding mechanism of the machine. It is apparent that, considering the invention in its broader aspects, a continuously operative feeding mechanism may be used instead of the intermittently operative feeding mechanism shown in the drawings, so long as the initial feedin movement for, each strip or web is entire y independent of the mechanism operative upon the other strips or webs, and means are provided whereby when a proper registering relation of the different strips or webs is once secured; the subsequent feeding of such strips or webs may be controlled so as to ensure uniformity in the length of each strip or Web advanced through the machine with each cycle thereof.

Referring particularly to the specific em bodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, I provide atone end of the machine, bearings for a plurality of rolls of strip or web 30, a1, 32, e3, 34., 35, 3c, 37, as and 39, each strip or web having printed thereon a repetition of appropriate or similar printed forms, a portion of each form being adapted to register with correspond-- ing portions in different forms. Said strips or Webs are printed and collected in roll form prior to their delivery to the machine of my invention. The arrangement of the bearings for the various rolls to 39' is immaterial, so long as it is such that the strip or web from each roll may be brought to a single collecting point by means of which the various strips or webs may be superimposed one upon another.

Adjacent the various bearings for the rolls of strip or web, I provide feed rollers adapted with each cycle of operation of the machine, to draw a fixed length of web or strip from each roll, the web or strip thus withdrawn being of substantially the length of a printed form. or forms upon the strips or webs, and the quantity so drawn from the several rolls being substantially uniform with each cycleof the machine.

As shown in the accompanying drawings,

. the same feed rollers may be used to advance the strips or webs from a plurality of rolls, it being desirable, when a large number of strips or webs are to be simultaneously collected, that a plurality of similar and simultaneously operative feed rollers be employed, each operative upon a plurality vof strlps or webs and each simultaneously operative to the same extent as theother. By thus dividing the total number of strips or webs intoa plurality of groups, the likelihood of error is minimized, although in the further handling of each strip or webfprovision isjmade for correcting such'error.

The error above referred to will arise from the fact that when aplurality of strips or webs are passing between two rollers. the operative effect of the power roller will be such as to give a slightly greater feeding movementto the outer strips or webs, even though the paper used be thin. With a machine having'high capacity, the accumulated error in time willbe sufficient to result in a relative position of the different strips or webs which will prevent correction of this error byother mechanisms in the machine. Hence the feed roller mechanism is so constructed and operated as to correct any error which develops during each cycle of the machine, thus permitting the feeding mechanism to operate with substantial uniformity with relation to the feeding movement of the strips or webs thereto.

Referring more particularly to the mechanism shown in the drawings, I employ two pairs of feed rollers 4041, and 42-43, the detailed construction of the feed rollers 40 and 42 being identical, so that a description of but one of such mechanisms is essential. Each of these feed rollers consists of a metallic rollerkeyed to a shaft 44 which shaft carries the ratchet wheel 45 upon each end thereof. Idly mounted upon each end of the shaft 44 is a gear wheel 46 carrying one or more spring-pressed pawls 47 in opera tive relation to the ratchet wheel 45. v Slidably mounted upon the frame of the machine is a carriage 48 carrying at opposite sides thereof racks 49 adapted to mesh with the gear wheels 46, the rack 49 being a. double rack so as to simultaneously and similarly actuate the wheels 46. through -which the rolls 40 and 42 respectively are actuated.

The carriage 48 is mounted upon the main frame of the machine by means of the bearing rollers 50 oppositely arranged in pairs so asfto permit the free movement of said carriage. Any other desired means for supporting and guiding the carriage in its movements may be employed ifdesired, the roller supports shown being a more mechanical expedient which may be varied at will.

The carriage 48 is adapted to be reciprocatcd by means of the levers 51 upon opposite sides of the machine, which levers respectiv'ely are pivotally connected with said carriage and with compensatinglinks 52, thus permitting reeiprocatory movement to be imparted to said carriage by means of crank wheels 53, the cranks of which are pivoted in slides 54 each mounted in an elongated slot. 55 in each lever 51. The said crank wheels are actuated at the desired R; P. M. through the gear train 56 deriving its power from the main power shaft 5710f the machine, which shaft carries an ordinary fly wheel 58.

By employing a crank wheel construction as described, the operative feeding effect of the carriage 48 will be such as to permit the starting of the feeding movement by the mechanisms mounted upon said carriage, at low speed, and .an initial return movement of the carriage at low speed, so as to minimize any itendency of the gripper mechanisms, to be hereinafter referred to, to tear or otherwise mutilate the strlps or webs 1n a manner which would interfere with accuracy in the functioning of this mechanism.

Mounted upon, and movable with, the carriage 48 is a cross bar 59 having adjustably mounted thereon pendant brackets 60-61 each of which brackets carries a plurality of vertically alined grippers each consisting of a fixed tongue platen 62 slotted and having an upturned end as shown, which tongue is adapted to be engaged by a spring gripper tongue 63 carried by, and formed integrally with, the platen 62 so that with movement in one direction, it will be adapted to operativelv engage the paper strip or web to be fed thereby, through the medium of a. slot or depression in the strip or web, indicated at a in Figs. 9, l0, and ll, while during movement in the opposite direction, it will pass freely over the paper strip or web.

All of the gripper mechanisn'is are similarly constructed. their arrangement being such that the spring tongue 63 of each grip per mechanism will bear upon the platen 62 ofthe gripper immediately below same and adjacent. the slot formed therein.

' By adjustably mounting the brackets and '61, upon the cross bar 59, the machine may be adjusted so as to accommodate it to strips or webs of different widths, the set screws 64 being employed to hold said brackets and the grippers carried thereby in any adjusted position.

The extent'of projection of the tongue above the platen 62 beyond the plane of the platen, is very slight being merely sufiicient to ensure the desired engagement of the spring gripper member 63 therewith through the slot a in the paper,.in a manner to ensure the desired feeding movement of the strip or web, the amount of projection being insufficient to interfere with the idle movement ofthe grippers after they have completed one feeding movement and while they are returning preparatory to a subsequent feeding movement.

Carried by the frame of the machine be- .yond the cross bar 59 and in the direction of the feeding movement of each strip or web, is a pair of feed rollers"6566-between which all of the strips or webs of paper, after r they have been accurately registered and fed by the various grippers (:2 and 63, pass while closely juxtaposed one ,upon another, the feeding movementof said rollers being substantially the same as that of the feed roll ers 4041 and 42-43.

Oneof said rollers as 66 is idly mounted and spring-pressed toward the roller 65, said last named roller being intermittently rotated by 'means of a ratchet wheel 67 carried by the shaft to which said roller 65 .is keyed, and a gear wheel 68 idly mounted upon said shaft and carrying one or more spring-pressed pawls 69 adapted to co-operate with said ratchet wheel, this actuating mechanism being duplicated upon opposite sides of the machine. h

The gear wheels 68 ar e actuated by means of the racks 70 carried upon opposite sides of the'carriage 48, which racks correspond,

as to the timing of the actuation of the roller 65, with the functioning of the racks 49 with relation to the rollers 40 and 42, differing therefrom merely in that the latter racks are double, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6, while the racks 70 are but single racks, since but one pair of feed rollers is act-uated thereby,

It will be observed from the foregoing that while in drawing the strips or webs from the several rolls thereof, a plurality of such strips or webs will pass while in contact between feeding rollers, that each strip will thereafter receive rectilineal feeding movement by means of a mechanism individually operative thereon, and that while being fed rectilineally and in parallel planes, each strip or web will be so positioned as to bring the printed matter thereon in exact register with the printed matter upon the other strips or webs, and that after the various strips or webs have thus been individually fed and brought into registering relation, they are again brought together so that upon the subsequent feeding movement of the carriage,

said webs or strips are a ain brought into close juxtaposition and al of the assembled strips simultaneously fed prior to their delivery from the machine.

To prevent a possible return movement of the various strips or webs being assembled and fed, as a result of a return movement of' the platens 62 and the grippers 63, I provide holding grippers between the bar 59 and the feed rollers 65 and 66, which grippers are so formed and set that they permit the strips to be drawn freely therethrough by said rollers 65 and 66, but prevent move ment of said strips or webs in the reverse direction under the control of the grippers 63. This holding gripper mechanism consists of brackets 7172 adjustably mounted upon a cross bar 73 carried by the frame of the machine, said brackets 71 and 72 carrying a plurality of platens 74 and grippers 7 5 constructed and set similarly to the platens 62 and grippers 63. There is a dlfe ference in the functioning, however, of the' latter co-operate with openings a formed in the strips or webs for a purpose whichwill more fully appear hereinafter, the. former are adapted to operatively engage any portion of each strip or web, since when said strips or webs have been advanced to the full extent under the control of the carriage 48 and the grippers carried thereby, the proper registration has already been effected, thus relieving the platens 74: and the grippers 7 5 of any registering function, their function being merely-to hold the sheet against a return movement with a possible resulting loss of register.

By employing rectilineally movable gripsmall degree of error in the quantity of some of the sheets fed, which error, however, will not seriously interfere with a proper registration of the forms upon the different strips or webs, provided it' is not. permitted to accumulate during a long run of the machine.

hen employing a reciprocatory carriage with gripper mechanisms as described, the

use of feeding rollers such as 404l and,-

-l243 is desirable. since it relieves the )aper from substantially all pulling stresses y the feeding grippers, since these rollers will create slack' in the strips or webs, or advance them toward the said grippers during their feeding movement as said grippers, advance in their feeding movement. I

I have found it desirable. however, to so construct said feed rollers that with each cycle of the machine. the. (-o-operating feed rollers 4041 and 4243 willhe disengaged one from the other so as to relieve the sheets between same from pressure and thus permit the paper through the stretch inherent thereto toimpart a sufficient return movement to any slack in the strip or web adjacent said rollers. or formed as a result of the grippers .62 and. 63 advancing toward said feed rollers. and thus prevent the accumulation of an excess of paper between said feed rollers and. the grippers moving with said carriage.

It will be readily understood that this method of correcting error is practicable merely because the feed rollers are separated witheach cycle of operation of the machine,

and that the error when it exists is so small that even though it be not corrected for a full cycle, this error, which may be termed a single error, would not affect registration. The excess speed of some of the sheets is so slight that the spring of the paper itself will be; sufficient to correct same when the pressure thereon from the feeding rollers is once relieved. Y

To secure a proper'timing in the releaseof the pressure upon the strips or webs from the rollers 40-41 and 4243, I mount the rollers 41 and 43 in journal housings 76 and 7 7 respectively, slidably mounted in ways in the frame of the machine, said journal housings being respectively acted upon by a spring 78 having a normal tendency to thrust the rollers 41 and 43 into engaging relation with the strips or webs passed about the rollers 40 and 42. Acting upon each of the housings 7 G'and 77 is a cam shaft 7 9-80 idly mounted upon opposite ends of each of which is a sprin -pressed latch member 81 or 82, each of sai latch members carrying a contact roller 83 as shown more articularly in Fig. 8, adapted to operative y' engage a projection upon said cam shaft and rotate same so as toflmove the journal housings 76 and 77 against the tension of their springs 78, and thus separate the feed rollers of each pair. The latch members81 and 82 project toward each other and into the path of an actuating bar 84, carried by the racks 49 respectively, this bar being of a length to engage and hold said latch members in a position to maintain the rollers 41 and 43 out of the operative relation to the strips or webs passed about therollers 40 and 42 during substantially the entire return movement of the carriage 48 during which, said feed rollers 40 and 42 are inoperative to impart feeding movement to the strip or web. Toward the end of this return movement, said bar will pass beyond the members 82 and 83 so as to permit the return of the rollers 41 and 43 into engagin relation with the strips or webs prior to t e initial direct feeding movement of the carriage 48.

Upon opposite sides of the main frame of the machine, I provide pasting mechanisms by means of which a small quantity of adhesive may be applied adjacent opposite edges of the strips as they are fed gether in a manner which will ensure ermanency in their registering relation w ile permitting a separation of the sheets constituting each manifolding form after the blanks have been filled in. and after the continuous strips of such forms have been separated into individual forms, whether this is done before the blanks have been filled in or after they have been so filled in. Paste or glueis applied to the several strips or webs while they are moving in 1 parallelplanes, and spaced apart, and before the various strips or webs converge and pass between the delivery rollers 65 and 66,

so that these rollers will develop that pressure necessary to not only secure the desired delivery movement of the collected strips .or

webs, but will apply that pressure-necessary to properly seal the pasted edges of adjoin ing strips or webs.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the specific pasting mechanism is shown as being composed of paste reservoirs upon oppositesides of the main frame'of the machine mounted upon guide rods, said reservoirs being shown at 85 and 86 and the guide rods at 87 and 88. r The paste reservoirs are each supported by a suitable frame having rotatably mounthanded lead tion of the adhesive ap I webs, permitting read yustment of the maed therein a disk 89, the lower edge of which -is adapted to pass through the liquid paste a movement of the wheels 90 coincident with the movement of the strips or webs with which they engage.

Preferably paste reservoirs are adjustable laterally of the machine upon the rods 87 and 88 by means ofthe right and left screw 92 with the four-fold object of regulating the quantity and locaplied to the strips or chine for securing various groupings of the stri s or webs to produce different manifol ing forms while running a machine to capacity, adapting the asting mechanism to strips or webs of different widths, or permitting either or both said pasting mechanisms to be made entirely inoperative if it be desired to not paste the edges of the strips or webs.

Preferably the wheels 90 will be positioned closely adjacent the holding gripper 75 and between same and the delivery pressure rollers 65 and' 66 so that the con vergence'of the strips from adjacent said grippers toward said rollers will ensure the desired engagement of these strips or webs with said wheels.

Preferably I provide adjacent the paper feed rollers 40-41 and 42-43 spaced guides indicated at 93 in Fig. 3 of the drawings, although I do not consider such at all essential, since the construction of the platen and gripper mechanisms 62 and 63 will effectively separatevthe strips if there .is any tendency of their adhering'one to being collecte 39, inclusive, to the herein described Ina-- this form, since the form in whic the other as a result feed rollers thereon.

While in the drawings I have shown the assembled stri of manifolding forms as d in a fan-fold form, I have not shown the mechanism for iving them the strips are delivered is immaterial to my present invention, and any desired mechanism for this purpose may be used.

e operation of the herein described of the pressure of the Preparatory to delivering the rolls 30 to chine, the desired forms are printed upon each of said rolls, the'slots or depressions a bemg'formed in each paper strip or web as it is printed, so that these depressions or slots will all occupy the same position with relation to the printed matter on the form and will be spaced longitudinally of the strip or web equal distances coinciding with the quantity of feeding movement which each strip or web must receive while in the feeding and collecting mechanism, to ensure substantially accurate registering of the forms u on different strips or webs.

lVhen it is esired to collect and feed the various strips or webs, the spindle carrying same is mounted upon the bearings therefor inithe machine, which bearings, in the form of the invention shown, consist of Studs having collars thereon adapted to per mit accuracy in the lateral adjustment of the various rol s of strip or web. The collars may be so adjusted that the rolls will be subjected to continuing friction so as to always place the strip or web being drawntherefrom under 's'ufiicient tension to ensure the strip or web being fed perfectly smooth from each roll and always maintain the strip or web withdrawn therefrom fairly taut.

After the rolls have been mounted in the machine, the end of each strip or web is passed about one or the other of the feeding rollers 40-42, through the guides 93 when such are used, and between a gripper tongue 63 of the movable gripper mechanism and the platen 62 of the next gripper immediately be low same. The free end of each strip or web is then passed between the platen and gripper mechanisms 7 4 and 7 5 "and the delivery presser rollers 65 and 66. In threading each loo strip or web through the machine, the slots a upon each stri should be brought into a position where t ey will approximately be in engaging relation to the gripper tongues 63, it being assumed that the machine when threading the strips or webs therethrough will have the parts so positioned as to disenga e the feed rollers 40-41 and 42-43.

en the-strips or webs have been properly threaded through the machine, power may be applied thereto and thereafter the machine will function automatically to ad- Vance each strip or web to the same extent as every other strip or web, excepting as to such slight deviation'as may be necessary to correct error in some of the mechanisms of the machine in order that the forms upon the various strips may be brought into substancontinued functioning, of the machine, however, the ultimate feeding movement of the various strips or webs with each cycle of the; machine, will be the same as to each strip or web.

Assuming that the various strips or webs have been properly threaded through the machine and that thecarria 48 is in the extreme position to the left ig. 1), the rotation of the crank disk 53 will,- through the block 54 and the lever 51, impart movement to the carriage to the right until the parts have assumed the position shown in full lines Fig. 1. During this movement, the racks 49 will turn the gear wheels 46, causing the rollers 4041 and 42-43 to draw a length of strip or web between said rollers from the rolls 30 to 39 respectively, (according to the grouping of the strips or Webs in relation to said feeding rollers) a distance approximating that required for the feeding movement of the gripper mechanism movable with said carriage. This movement of the carriage 48 will engage the various gripper tongues 63 each with a strip or web through the medium of the slots a therein, and thus take up slack as it is formed, resulting from the feeding movement of-said feed rollers.

By the slot and tongue construction of the platen 62, any possibility of the gripper tongue 63 riding upon the paper without imparting movement thereto, is avoided, although the construction is such that no feeding movement will be imparted to any strip or web until said tongue 63 has engaged its co-operating platen 62 through the slot a in the paper, or if a depression is relied on, by the forcing of the depression into the slit in the platen 62 adjacent the tongue of said platen.

The spacing of the various gripper tongues will separate the various strips or webs being fed. and maintain them in a substantially parallel arrangement, or upon substantially parallel planes.

As the various strips or webs are advanced by the gripper tongues 63 and their co-operating platens 62, the movement of the carriage 48 will, through the racks 7 0, actuate the delivery rollers 65 and 66 so that these rollers will take up slack as it is created by the movement of said caia'iage and said gripper tongues, thus drawing that portion of the strips or webs beyond said gripper tongues through the holding grippers 74 and 75 while stillkeeping the variousstrips or webs sufiiciently taut.

As the various strips or webs pass thepaste wheels 90 enteringbetween' parallel strips or webs, the rotary movement of said wheelswill apply a thin film of paste or other adhesive to one or both of the adjacent surfaces of said strips, the strips after passing said paste wheels converging toward each othef until they are brought and pressed into contact by the rollers 65 and 66 which will effect the final collection of the various strips or webs and firmly cement them together.

During the initial feeding movement of the carriage,48, the'erank pin upon the disk 53 will be moving from a horizontal center,

thus imparting a slow initial movement with gradually increasing speed, to the carriage,

one complete revolution, a return reciproca- Y tory movement will be imparted thereby to the carriage 48, with the same varying speed conditions as are above referred to. During this return movement, the delivery rollers 65 and 66 will be idle by reason of the pawl and ratchet mechanism connecting the gears 68 with the roller 65 and the feed rollers will remain idleby reason of v the pawl and ratchet mechanism connecting the gears 46 with the rollers 40 and 42 respectively. Hence the feedrollers and the delivery rollers will be inoperative during thereturn movement of said carriage and will be operative only during the feeding movement thereof.

As thecarriag moves to the left (Fig. 11), the gripper tongues 63 being of spring metal, will yield sufficiently to permit-them and the platens 62 to slide freely over the strip or web engaged thereby, and will at the same time have a smoothing or straightening action adjacent the edges of said strip or web so as to cause accuracy in the measured feeding movement of said grippers. As the platen and gripper mechanisms 62 and 63 thus move contra to their feeding movement and away from the holding grip pers 7 4 and 75, these grippers will engage and restrain any return movement of each strip or web. During the initial return movementof the carriage 48. the bar 84 thereon will engage the latch members 81 and 82 and oscillate them in a'manner to rock the camshafts 81 through the medium of journal housings 76 and 77 away, from the feed rollers 40 and 42 to an extent to relieve pressure upon the strips or webs between each pair of feed rollers, and permit the elasticity inherent to said strips to impart a slight return movement thereto in the event that any slack is present betbetween said feed rollers and the travelling gripper mechanism. If fairly heavy paper be used, the thrust upon the paper by' theplaten and gripper mechanisms 62 and 63 will also have a tendency to force the paper back between the feed rollers.

- As the carriage48 approaches the limit of its movement toward the feed rollers, the bar 84 will pass from its engagement with the latch members 81 and 82, ,per

I so; that they will be operative upon the reother so as to bring the printed forms upon versal of movement of the carriage. By applying similar actuating mechanisms to the various parts upon, opposite sides of the machine, I avoid possible skewing of the strips or webs.

It will be observed that while the strips or webs are being fed under the control of the grippers 6263-,they will be having rectilineal movement in parallel planes, and.

that the vertical alinement of the various gripper tongues 63 will bring and maintain the various strips or websinto exactly the same position with relation to each the various strips intoregister.

By imparting a reclprocatory movement to the carriage 48 slightly 1n excess of the required feeding movement of the strips or webs, there will be slight lost motion between the gripper tongues ()3 and their platens 62 and the strip before said tongues enter the slots a, this lost motion being preferably provided so that in .the event of aslight staggered relation of said slotsin diilerent sheets, some of the gripper mechanisms 62 or 63 may operatirely rngage and impart feeding movement to some strips or' webs, before other gripper mechanisms have reached the operative relation to other strips or .webs as defined by the location of the slots a therein.

The machine shown in the accompanying drawings is designed to superimpose ten strips or webs one upon the other, it being apparent, however, that any lesser number of strips or webs may be collected and fed by the machine, irrespective of its maximum capacity of ten. It isalso apparent that by increasing the number of gripper mechanisms and paste wheels, which will involve a mere duplication of parts, the number of strips or webs thus collected and fed may be increased.

Since each strip or web after it leaves the feed rollers is individually controlled by a platen and gripper mechanism, it is apparent that'if desired ten difl'erent weights and'colors of paper may be collected in a manifolding form, or any desired-variation in the weight or coloring of the different sheets of a. form may be secured.

-Under some conditions it may be desired to merely collect and feed printed sheets with the matter thereon in register, without pasting the sheets together. such. conditions the pasting wheels may be made inoperative with relation to the Under b strips or webs, or be entirely removed from the machine so as to avoid any paste about said edges. If it be desired to paste only one edge of the full ten sheets, one pasting mechanism may be made entirely inoperative, thus, applying paste to only one edge of said strips or webs. By readjusting the machine by removing difierent paste wheels 90, and using spacers to position these wheels in any desired relation, the edges of some of said strips or, webs may be pasted on one side of the machine while the other strips or webs may be pasted on the other side of the machine. dition exists when manifolding forms re quire less than the maximum number of strips or webs which may be handled by the machine. By thus adjusting the pasting mechanism, any desired'grouping of the strips or webs in the completely col- This eonlected and registered manifolding forms may be secured, so that subsequently the different groupings may be separated and used upon thus permit the machine to be. different jobs at the same time.

In Figs. 13 to 21 difi'erent products of the machine are illustrated.

In Fig. 13 the superimposed registered strips or webs are not pasted at all. In Fig. 14 they are pasted only on one edge.

In Fig. 15 a number of strips are pasted on,

alternately opposite edges. In Fig. 16 some of the strips or webs arelofi'set laterally with relation to others and the projecting edges of adjacent strips pasted. In Fig. 17 one edge of alternate pairs of strips is pasted. In Fig." 18 alternate strips or webs on each side are pasted, the rolls of same being laterally offset so as to secure the result desired. In Fig. 19 both edges of all strips or webs are pasted. In Fig. 201; product is shown in which narrow strips are alternated with wide strips, and adjacent edges on both sides pasted so as to provide a form which may be'nnfolded. In Fig. 21 the construction is similar to that shown in' Fig. 19, excepting that the strips are mparated along their longitudinal center so that two sets of dissimilar forms of narrow produced.

width may be Whatever the form of the product. all I stripswhich enter into a single manifolding form, whether the blanks in'each form are two or more, will be in exact register with each other,-the pasting of the edges and the mannerof doing same having absolutely nothing to do with the feeding and registering of the strips or webs, but being solely to maintain them in their registered relation.

It is not my intention to'limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it eing apparent that such may be varied without departing from the-spirit and scope I I of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips oravebs, means simultaneously drawing the strip or web from each of said rolls and superintposing said strips or webs one upon another. means imparting relative movement to said sheets, whereby they will be-positioned with the printed matter upon each sheet in exact register with that upon the other sheets, and means arranged between said feeding means and the delivery point of the 'machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are collectively fed in unison.

2. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plu rality of rolls of printed strips or. webs, means simultaneously drawing the strip or -web from each of said rolls and superimposing said strips or webs one upon another. means imparting relativ'e movement to said sheets. whereby they will be positioned with the printed matter upon each sheet in exact register with that upon the other sheets. means arranged between said feeding means and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are 001- lectivelv fed in unison, and means adapted to apply adhesive adjacent an edge of'said strips or webs respectively.

3. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs. a plurality of feeding mechanisms operative upon said strips or webs respectively and adapted to impart rectilineal movement thereto in parallel planes. said feeding mechanism including therein means whereby said strips or webs will be simultaneously withdrawn from said rolls and so positioned with relation to each other as to be brought in position with the printed'matter upon each sheet in accurate register with that upon the other sheets. and means arranged between said feeding mechanisms and the delivery point of the machine. whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison.

4:. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs. a plurality of feeding mechanisms operative upon said strips or webs respectively and adapted to impart rectilineal movement thereto in parallel planes. whereby said strips or webs will be simultaneously withdrawn from said rolls and brought in position with the printed matter upon each sheet in accurate register with that upon the other sheets, means adapted to apply adhesive adjacent to an edge of said strips or webs respectively while they are being fed in parallel planes, and means arranged between said feeding mechanisms and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in re ister, are brought together and collectively fed in unison.

A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, means simultaneously drawing the strip or web from each of said rolls and superimposing said strips or webs one upon another, said means including therein a projecting member adapted to engage successive accurately spaced openings or depressions in each strip or web, whereby the operative engagement of said means and the strip or web' is determined by the strip or web and the printed, matter on each strip or web is brought into accurate register with that uponthe other sheets, and means arranged between said feeding means and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are collectively fed in unison.

6. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web, means whereby said grippers are reciprocated, operative connections between said last named means and said feed rollers, whereby said rollers will be actuatedwhile said grippers are moving away from said rollers and will be inoperative while said grippers are, moving towards said rollers. means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, and actuating means for said last named means whereby it. will be operative when said grippers are operative to feed the strips or webs. and will be inoperative when said grippers are inoperative.

7. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports 'for a plul'ality of rolls of printed strips or webs. a pair of feed rollers .adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web,

means whereby said grippers are recipro-' grippers are moving towards said rollers, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter rality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a

pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said stripsor webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web, means whereby said grippers are reciprocated, operative connections between said last named means and said feed rollers,-

whereby said rollers will be actuated while said grippers are moving away from said rollers and will "be inoperative while said grippers are moving toward said rollers, means whereby said feed rollers are separated while they are inoperative, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter I thereon in register, are brought together-and collectively fed in unison, and actuating means for said last named means whereby it willbe operative when said grippers are operative to feed the strips or webs, and will be inoperative when said grippers are inoperative.

9. A- web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaner ously-draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web, means whereby said grippers are reciprocated, operative connections between said last named means and said feed rollers, whereby said rollers will be actuated while said grippers are moving away from said rollers and will be inoperative whilesaid grippers are moving towards said rollers, means whereby said feed rollers are separated while they are inoperative, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said.

strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, fixed hold ing'grippers bet-weensaid first named grippersand said last named means, and aetuating means for said last named means whereby it will be operative when said grippers are operative to feed the strips or webs,

' I and will be inoperative when said grippers are inoperative.

'10. web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a

pair of feed rollers adapted to simultanemovement of said frame toward said rollers,

no power will be transmitted from said ment ofsaid frame away'from said rollers. said rollers'will be actuated, a plurality of grippers carried by said frame, each of said grippers being adapted to engage a strip or web, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matterthereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, said means having no movement with said frame, and actuating means for said last named means whereby it will be operative when said rollers are operative, and will be inoperative when said feed rollers are inoperative.

11. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or Webs from the rolls thereof, gears idly mounted adjacent one of said rollers, pawl and ratchet wheel connections between said gears respectively and said roller, a reciprocatory frame, racks thereon co-operating with said gears, said pawl and ratchet wheel connections being so set that with the printed matter thereon in register, are' brought together and collectively fed in unison, said means having no movement with said frame, fixed holding grippers between said first named grippers and said last named means, and actuating means for saidlast named means whereby it will be operative when said rollers are operative, and will. be inoperative when said feed rollers are inoperative.

12. A web feeding and collecting mechwheels to said rollers, and with the moveanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web, each'of said grippers comprising a platen having a sl1t therein, and a resilient tongue said grippers being arranged one above another with said tongues in vertical alinement, whereby the tongue of one gripper will co-operate with the platen of the gripper immediately below, means whereby said grippers are reciprocated, operative connections between said last named means and saidfeed rollers, whereby said rollers will be actuated while said grippers are moving away from said rollers and will be inoperative while saidv grippers are moving towards said rollers, means arranged between said/ grippers and .the delivery point-of the'machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, and actuating means for said last named means whereby it will be operative when said grippers are operative to feed the strips or'webs, and will be inoperative when said grippers are inopera tive.

13. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs,

a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultane ously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grip pers each adapted to engage a strip or web, each of said grippers comprising a platen having a slit therein, and a resilient tongue, said grippers being arranged one above another with said tongues in vertical alinement, whereby the tongue of one gripper will co-operate with the platen of the gripper immediately below, means whereby said grippers are reciprocated, operative connections between said last named means and said feed rollers, whereby said rollers will be actuated while said grippers are moving away from said rollers and will be inoperative while said grippers are moving towards said rollers, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips orwebs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, fixed holding grippers between said first-named grippers and said last named means, each ofsaid grippers consisting. of a platen member havmg aslit therein, and a resilient tongue, said grippers being arranged one above another with said tongues in vertical alinement, whereby the tongue of one gripper will co-operate with the platen of the gripper" immediately below, and actuating means for said last named means whereby it will be operative when said grippers are operative to feed the strips or webs, and, will be inoperative when said grippers are inoperative.

14. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, gears idly mounted adjacent one of said rollers, pawl and ratchet wheel connections between said gears respectively and said roller, a reciprocatory frame, racks thereon co-operating with said gears, said pawl and ratchet wheel connections beingvso set that with the movement of said frame toward said rollers, no power will be transmitted from said wheels to said rollers, and with the -movement of said.

carried by said frame, each of said grip ers.

being adapted to engage a strip or we a pair of feed rollers between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register are brought together and collectively fed 'in unison, gear wheels idly mounted adjacent one of said feed rollers, pawl and ratchet wheel connections between said gears respectively and said rollers, and racks on said frame cooperating with said last named gears, said last named pawl and ratchet wheel connections being so set that with the movement of said frame toward said feed rollers,'no power will be transmitted from said wheels to said delivery rollers, and with the move-- ment of said frame away from said rollers, said delivery rollers will be actuated.

15. A web feeding and collecting mecha nism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, slidable bearings for oneof said rollers, cam shafts operative upon said bearings respectively, a springpressed latch member adjacent said shaft, a contact carried by said latch member and adapted to operate said cam shaft, gears idly mounted adjacent the other of said feed rollers, pawl and ratchet wheel connections between said gears respectively and said roller, a reciprocatory frame, racks thereon co-operating with said gears respectively, said pawl and ratchet wheel-connections being so set that with the movement of said frame toward said rollers, no power will be transmitted from said wheels to said roll ers, and with the movement of said frame in operative relation to said latch mem-' her, a plurality of grippers carried by said frame, each of said grippers being adapted to engage a strip or web, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, wherebysaid strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, said means having no movement with said frame, and actuating means for said last named means whereby it will be -operative when said rollers are operative, and will be inoperative when said feed rollers are inoperative.

16. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for aphirality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a plurality of pairs of feed rollers each adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, gears idly mounted adjacent one of the rollers of each pair,'a. pawl and ratchet {wheel 1 connection between each of said gears fre-a spectively and the'roller with wl1ich ;it isassociated, a reciprocatory frame, donble racks on said frame passing between the gears of each pair of feed rollers and'cooperating with said gears, said pawl and ratchet wheel connections being so set that with the movement of said frame toward said rollers, no power will be transmitted from said wheels to said rollers, and with the movement of said frame away from said rollers, said rollers will be actuated, a plurallty of grippers carried by said frame,

each of said grippers being adapted to engage a strip or web, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point I of the machine, whereby said strips or webs,

with the printed matter thereon in register,

are ,broughttogether and collectively. =;fed-.

' gears i rollers. o each in unison, said means having no movement with said frame, and actuating'meansffo said lastnamed means whereby it willl-b operative when said rollers are operative. and will be inoperative when said feed roll ers are inoperative.

17. A web feeding and collecting inecha n'ism embodying therein supports for a plui ral ity of rolls of printed strips or webs, plurality of pairs of feed rollers each adapted to snnultaneously draw "a plurality of" said stri spr webs from the rolls thereof, mo'unted adjacent one of the 1 air, a pawl and ratchet wheel connection tween each of said gears respectively andthe roller with which it is associated a reciprocatory frame, double racks on said frame passing between the.

gears of each pair of feed rollers and cogears, said pawl and ratchet wheelconnectlons being so set that 'With' the movement of said frame toward said rollers, no power will be transmitted from said wheels to said rollers, and with the movement of said-frame away from said rollers, said rollers will be actuated, a plurality of grippers carried by sai frame, each of said grippers being adapte to engage a strip or web, a pair of feed rollers between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, gear wheels idly mounted adjacent one of said feed rollers, pawl and ratchet wheel connections between said gears respectively and said rollers,- and racks on said frame co-operating with said last named gears, said last named pawl and ratchet Wheel connections being so set that with the movement of said frame toward said feed rollers, no power will be transmitted from said wheels to said delivery rollers, and with the movement of said frame away from said rollers, said delivery rollers will be actuated.

18. A web feeding and collecting mechawebs from the rolls there' f, =a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web, means wherebysaid grippers may -be laterally adjusted tov accommodate the machine to strips or webs of different wldths, means whereby saidgrippers are recipro-' cated, operative connections between said last" named means andksaid feed rollers,

whereby said rollers will be actuated while said rollers and will beiiii'operative while said grippers are movin'g' towards said rollers,-

me'ans, arranged between. said grippers and the: delivery point of themachme, whereby said strips or webs, with thegprinted matter hereon in register, brou httogether rid collectively fedin unison, ed 'holdmg it willabe operative when jsaid grippers are operative to feed the strips or webs, and will be} inoperative when; said grippers are moplerativei-i I feeding and collec'ting mechanisin embodying therein supports for. a plurality'ofirolls of printed strips or webs, a. pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of saidstrips .or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each ada ted to'engage a 'stripor web, means where y said grippers are reciprocated, operative connections between said last namedmeans and said feed rollers, whereby said rollers will be actuated while said grippers are moving away-from said rollers andv will be inoperative while said grippers are moving towards said rollers, meansa-rranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby pp are m ving away from said rippers between said first named grippers I and said last named means, and actuating meansforsaidlastnamed means whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, means adja cent said grippers and said last named means adapted to apply adhesive adjacent an edge of said strips or webs respectively,

and actuating means for said last named means whereby it will be operative when said grippers are operative to feed the strips or webs, and will be inoperative when said grippers are inoperative.

20. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web, means whereby said grippers are reciprocated, operative connections between said last named means and said feed rollers,

-whereby said rollers-will be actuated while said grippers are moving away from said rollers and will be inoperative while said grippers are moving towards said rollers, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and collectively fed in unison, an adhesive reservoir, a plurality ofwheels adjacent thereto and rotatable about a vertical axis, said wheels bein positioned between said grippersand sai last named means, means continuously applying adhesive to, and rotating, said wheels, and actuating means for said last named means whereby it will be operative when said grippers are operative to feed the strips or webs, and will be inoperative when said grippers are inoperative.

21. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plu rality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or Webs from the rolls thereof,-a' plurality ofgrippers-each adapted to engage a strip or web, means whereby said gripper are reciprocated, operative connections between said last named means and said feed rollers, whereby said rollers will be actuated while said grippers are moving away from said rollers and will be inoperative while said grippers are moving towards said rollers, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon .in register, are brought together and collectivelyv fed in unison an adhesive reservoir, a plurality 0 wheels adjacent thereto and rotatable about .a vertical axis, 'said wheels being p0.-

sitioned between said grippers and said last named means, means continuously applying adhesive to, androtating, said wheels, means'whereby said wheels may be adjusted laterally of the machine to permit them to be adjusted to accommodate sheets.

anism embodying-therein supportsifor a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web, means whereby said grippers are reciprocated, operative connections between said last named means and said feed rollers, whereby said rollers will be actuated while said grippers are moving away from said rollers and will be inoperative while said grippers are moving towards said rollers, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the machine, whereby said strips or webs, with the printed matter thereon in register, are brought together and.

pers and said last named means, a diskrotating in said reservoir and engaging said wheels respectively, means rotating said disk, and actuating means for said last named means whereby it will be operative when said grippers are operative to feed the strips or webs, and will be inoperative when said grippers are inoperative.

23. A web feeding and collecting mechanism embodying therein supports for a plurality of rolls of printed strips or webs, a pair of feed rollers adapted to simultaneously draw a plurality of said strips or webs from the rolls thereof, a plurality of grippers each adapted to engage a strip or web, each of said grippers comprising a platen having a slit therein, and a resilient tongue, said grippers being'arranged one above another with said tongues in vertical alinement. whereby the tongue of one gripper will co-operate with the platen o the gripper immediately below, means whereby said grippers are reciprocated, said means wards said rollers, means arranged between said grippers and the delivery point of the 

